Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Blogariddims 42: Sun'n'Bass

Sun and bass. Two things I love. I don't see enough sun in the UK. Bass however, is another thing.

When I was asked to do a mix for Blogariddims I initially had issues about what I could provide in such an awesomely diverse series. I couldn't think of any one particular genre that I'd want to listen to for 60 minutes so I just thought i'd make something that i'd want to hear if I was on holiday at a beach party, rum flowing, bass hammering. Not the most specialist or obscure concept but the kind of music that i've been writing about here and why I started Ghetto Bassquake. The mix is a clash of sounds that I'm influenced by: From where I live in Brixton, south London - The UK's Bass shattering sounds of reggae, grime, drum'n'bass and dubstep. And the Latin American & Jamaican bass party music of the caribbean and South America - dancehall, cumbia, baile funk, reggaeton, soca with a bit of baltimore thrown in for good measure.

This is from random Ragga hip hop cd I picked up in Brooklyn a few years back. Its the Joyride version with some AV8 style rap loops to get the party cracking. Simple but effective.2. Lady Saw - Sycamore Tree3. Wayne Wonder - Bashment Girl

Staying with the Joyride riddim, a couple of bashment anthems. When King Jammy made the Sleng Teng riddim, loads of Jamiacan DJs complained as it had such a big bassline that it was hard to find anything to follow it. Same with Joyride. Weight.

4. El General - Muevelo5. Unknown - Panamanian Reggaeton

I picked up these tracks in Nicaragua off a taxi driver. He was playing this incredible cd really loudly while speeding driving around the city. I managed to persuade him to swap it for another cd. Having never really heard spanish reggae, it blew me away. Later on I learned this is old school Panamanian reggaeton from its birth in the early 90s. I love this stuff, El General especially- over a minimal beat, the mc flows just keep you hooked. Video here. If anyone knows the second unknown artist please hit me up.

6. Lucky Kumbias - Tocando Palmas RMX

DJ/Rupture posted this on Negrophonic. A great piece of texas crunked cumbia from the Lucky Kumbias mixtape vol.1 where the traditional mexican cumbia has been given a US bass heavy sound for the clubs.

7. El Hijo De La Cumbia - Bombon Asesino Version

This is from the Bersas Discos record, the first proper physical release of Nueva Cumbia scene centered around the Zizek night in Buenos Aires. This dub version is crazy, quite psychedelic, it almost turns into dubbed out drum 'n' bass. Future Latin music.

8. Mims - Why I'm Hot (DJ Panik Remix)

Another excellent texas cumbia, this time a mash up with Mims. The acapella has had plenty of outings but it sounds hot over the bumping cumbia shuffle.

9. Jowell & Randy - Bajaera De Panty

Rafi Mercenario produced this who I think is one of the best reggaeton producers, he also made also Don Omar's La Batidora. His beats are always really hard and stay true to the dem bow drum heavy origins of the genre which always does it for me. My spanish is pretty bad but I have a feeling this track is quite rude.

10. The Bug feat. Warrior Queen - Poison Dart (Original Mix)

There's alot of swirling depth in this track, Warrior Queen's sweet vocals riding a massive dub bassline. London FYA from The Bug.

11. Coki - Spongebob12. Rusko - Cockney Thug

Two fairly recent big dubstep bangers that I'm feeling. I'm generally not massively into dubstep as i find it a bit dull but tracks like these are alot more exciting and dancefloor friendly - it seems to be going this way. Spongebob does sound a bit like a dentist drill on the rampage however so probably best to avoid if you've got a headache. Loefah played it at DMZ's third birthday and it went off. Rusko's Cockney Thug is a more reggaefied dancefloor roller.

This is a heavy track from Terror Danjah's Harddrive vol.1 cd. Great rhymes and tempo switching all over the shop. He's a massive talent in UK music right now and he can turn his slick style to loads of genres. This is like an old school drum'n'bass banger.

14. Trim - I Can C U

A heavy new Radioclit produced track from Trim's excellent Soulfood Vol.3. I like the minimal African drums and samples in this. Less is more. A very ungrime beat underlaying Trim's stream of conciousness flow.

15. Ghislain Poirier - No More Blood feat. Face-T (Deadbeat Remix)

Ghislain sent me this recently and its awesome - lyrically positively on point and futuristic production. Ghislain makes music like no one else, he has his own genre.

16. Dj Jeff ft Kiss - Cavalier ô Dame

This is from a cd that I picked up from a guy selling bootleg African music in a market in London a few weeks ago. I don't know anything about what genre it is but I'm really feeling the accordian sound and rattling beat. Check out the video.

17. Machel Montano - One More Time (Remix)

I posted this on this blog a while back. The tranceish production goes great under Machel's vocals, dare I say erm uplifting....I'm not really into trance or soca particularly but this is one of those tracks that makes me wish it Notting Hill Carnival every weekend.

18. Japanese vs Toy Selectah - Cocobola Tripiton Remix

This was posted up on Mad Decent. Japanese is an excellent Panamanian MC who is currently pretty massive in Central America i've heard. From the original reggaeton beat, Mexico's Toy Selectah's remixes it into a driving juggernaut of a tune.

19. DJ Amazing Clay - Montagem Aquecimento do Sambinha

From what i've read, the Aquecimento has been massive in Rio for a year now, at first I didn't get it but now I do, its just nuts, pushing the funk sound forward like the Tamborzao did. Amazing Clay, who I wrote about here has cut it up with the berimbau and other traditional baile samples to make a blazing Montagem. I think a version of this appeared on his Baile Funk Masters EP on Man Recordings.

20. Scottie B feat. Moleque Bil - Mais Ela

Another track from Man Recording's Funk Mundial series. A really basic beat from one of the Baltimore originators, Scottie B, with cut up baile funk vocals from Moleque Bill, an MC from Rio's Bonde do Sonho crew. It feels like a totally pure clash of two bass music ethos, sparse unrelenting, with a bassline straight from '88 . Simply Baile funk Vs Baltimore.

This is one of those tracks that I can't stop listening to. Cobra Krame's warm rave synths are perfect over a sick switch-esque bassline. I feel like you could play this anywhere and people would be feeling it. Rye Rye's got the most party starting flow that i've hear in a long time. Baltimore goes rave.

22. Ricky Blaze - 2 The Beat

Finally from Brooklyn's Ricky Blaze, He shouts out the all the dance crews, instead of going on about himself, which is nearly as original as the acidic trance beats he uses. Heater !

The song after Muevelo from El General is by "La Atrevida" (Rude Girl) the name of the song is "Si el Hombre quiere".. You need to check this CD out. It is one of the classic of the Reggaespanol Movement. Name of the CD: "Dancehall Reggaespanol" Released 1991...

track 16 is surely not a zouk Imani, the accordeon melody is from a good old biguine, a french indies traditional style. So this track comes either from the Guadaloupe or Martinique or metropolitans from that origins. Sure it rocks.